Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (Spanish for “penitent-shaped snows”), are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice, closely spaced with the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun.

Model and Reebok Easytone Ambassador Miranda Kerr reveals a 3D image shot by Rankin during a Reebok Satisfaction photo call on the roof of the Bayerisch Hof Hotel on April 17, 2012 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Reebok)

“The white lion is not a distinct subspecies, but a special morph with a genetic condition, leucism, that causes paler colouration akin to that of the white tiger; the condition is similar to melanism, which causes black panthers”. – Wikipedia

Photo: One of two rare white lion cubs from Mogo Zoo on New South Wales South Coast is seen at a photo call at Lavender Green, Luna Park on November 23, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Krastsvetmet, located beside the beautiful Yensei river in the metropolis of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, is a refinery of all types of precious metals on an industrial scale.

Everyone wants to get something for nothing - whether it's a lucky upgrade that means you can turn left when you get on a plane instead or heading off into the economy seats, or even getting a few extra features thrown in for free when you buy a new car.

As some of the sharpest businesses around, no-one understands this quite as well as casinos and that's why they all have a system that they call comps. It's short for "complimentary offers" and these are special treats specially designed to reward you for your loyalty to the casino in question. They're basically bonuses.

Just a week before Rio de Janeiro hosts South America's first Olympics, city residents expressed mixed feelings about the cost and security of the Games, while holding out hope they will bring joy to a nation facing economic and political crises. The conflicted thoughts mirror a recent survey by the Datafolha polling group showing that half of Brazilians were opposed to holding the Games, while 63 percent think the costs of hosting the event will outweigh benefits. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

Revelers gather on a commuter train platform of the HVV city public transportation system to drink alcohol on September 30, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. Thousands of people participated in the event dubbed the “HVV Abschiedstrinken” (HVV Farewell Drink) that was organized through Facebook and is meant to celebrate the last day before a ban on alcohol consumption goes into effect on the city's public transport. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)